Background – There has been a gradual development of interest in the contribution of pulses to a healthy lifestyle, as awareness of ethnic diets and lifestyles has grown. A couple of controlled dietary intervention studies with chickpeas have shown a small but significant reduction in serum low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) concentrations in women and men. But a question remains as to the potential effect of chickpeas on nutrient intake, metabolic and physiological changes in a more realistic ad libitum setting.
Objective – To estimate the effect of including a realistic quantity of chickpeas in an otherwise ad libitum diet in free-living adults.
Design – An ordered crossover design of 20 weeks duration with four weeks of habitual diet at commencement and end. Forty-five adult women and men, as a group slightly hypercholesterolaemic but normoglycaemic, included 104g of chickpeas per day in their habitual diet for 12 weeks. Comparison was made of macronutrient and dietary fibre consumption, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, serum lipids, lipoproteins, insulin, leptin and ghrelin concentrations, after habitual diet supplemented with chickpeas and after four weeks of post chickpea ad libitum diet. Semi-quantitative assessment of bowel function was made using anchored visual analogue scales. All data was analysed with repeated measures ANOVA using GLM with robust standard error estimation and ordinal logistic regression for ordinal data.
Outcomes – Chickpea-related increases in mean dietary fibre and PUFA intake were associated with significant decreases in serum TC and LDL-C, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (p<0.05 for all) when compared to the usual dietary phase. Small but significant reductions in body weight (p=0.001) and improved bowel function were noted during the chickpea phase compared to the usual dietary phase.
Conclusion – Adding chickpeas to the diet is a sensible option for individuals wanting to modify their diet- associated CVD risk factors.